We talk to Rick Furno who has lived in the UK for 22 years and now runs his own business

Where in the US are you originally from?

I’m originally from the great “Rust Belt” of the US, Erie, Pennsylvania. Born and raised literally on the shores of Lake Erie directly across from Canada, so I consider myself an honorary Canadian, even if Canadians don’t see me that way! I lived 26 years of my life there and still consider it ‘Home’, so I go back as often as I can. I mean, where else in the world can you find delicacies like “pepperoni balls” and “ox roast sandwiches” (just Google them) and walk along 14 miles of sandy beaches on a beautiful fresh water sea. I love Erie, but honestly, I could never live there again.

How long have you lived in the UK and what brought you over here?

I’ve lived in the UK for 22 years. Originally I came to do a course in teaching English as a foreign language just after I received my MA in Applied Anthropology from Boston University. I was going to work my way around the world teaching English and writing a book. At the time, Eastern Europe was opening up and there was a need for English teachers so I had every intention of heading in that direction after I got my qualification. Well, things happened and I found a job at an American university in London as an administrator through someone who knew someone who knew someone. It really did happen that way! I never left and here and I am still here two decades later.

What did your role in the US Embassy in London involve?

I was the Global Employment Advisor for 7 years at the Embassy and by far it was THE best job I had ever had. I was what you might call a careers counsellor for the diplomats’ “family members”, aka, spouses and partners. But it involved a lot more that just career counselling, writing CVs, doing mock interviews, etc. I actively worked to find employment connections for family members on the local economy through my sizable number of professional contacts that I had amassed through years of working and doing business in London. Through the State Department, which ran the entire programme, I was able to travel to Scandinavia every once in a while and assist family members in the US embassies there as well. It was a wonderful, very helpful programme for State Department staff and their families who were grateful for my assistance, but unfortunately in late 2011 it was cut from the London Embassy budget and I was made redundant.

What have you found most challenging living here?

That’s easy. Customer service. Or rather, the difference in what constitutes “good” customer service. In the US, customer service is “good” if the representative is helpful in someway, gets your problem solved, or goes out of his/her way to do something for you. If Plan A doesn’t work, they will find a Plan B for you. And if that doesn’t work, they will go on to Plan C. And if it’s all done quickly and with a smile and a friendly tone, that falls into the category of “good” customer service. In the UK, “good” customer service has its roots in the class system, or what I like to call the “master/servant” relationship. Customer service reps are there to serve you, but they’re not there to solve your problems and they’re certainly not there to be friendly to you. Afterall, they are “serving” you and that’s all that matters. For those of you familiar with “Little Britain” you need only refer to the “computer-says-no” lady, a brilliant and cleverly crafted take on the typical British service industry representative who cannot think further than what her computer tells her to say and do. It’s very challenging for me, even after all these years, to know that customer service reps have no Plan B in place in case the original plan falls through. If the computer says “no” in the UK, you’re not going to get any further with the customer service rep.

What made you decide to run your own business?

I found myself, like many people, jobless. After the Embassy job, I did a bit of consulting work, mostly cross-cultural training which I love, and still do, but on a very limited basis now. A friend of mine, Bruno, who is French and is a fantastic pastry chef was finding success in London with his bakes at street markets and through wholesaling them to restaurants. He had won all of these culinary awards from the BBC Good Food Show and from the Guild of Fine Foods and was featured in a couple of magazines already. Since I was in grad school, I had always had this dream of managing a coffee shop, you know, one of those cool, hip places all the cool people like to hang out in. So when I found myself unemployed, and with a bit of money to invest, I approached him about opening up a “bricks and mortar” coffee hop/patisserie to showcase his work which, by the way, includes a lot of American bakery items as well as French. (His peanut butter and chocolate cream pie is to die for and is one of our top sellers). We pulled our resources together and in September of last year we opened Bruno’s French Bakes and Coffee in Rochester (Kent) in a 17th century building on the High Street, and I am fulfilling my grad school dream of owning a coffee shop. How cool and hip it is, well, that’s for others to decide. It has been called “quirky” by many of our customers though, so I think I’m at least on my way to being cool and hip.

How easy was it to set up your business and how did you do it?

It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life! How did I do it? I don’t think I’ve “done” it yet, actually. I look at opening a business as a work in progress. A very, very long work in progress. It’s ongoing. I’m always having to do something different, or rethink something, or change directions at the last minute. Every day is a new challenge and I always feel like I’m still setting up the business even though it’s been running since September 2013. The most difficult part of setting up a business is dealing with the bureaucracy of the local council. They say they’re there to help you, but they’re not. They’re secretly there to make your life hell and I’m sure they go home at night laughing and planning how they’re going to screw up everything for you the following week. Dealing with landlords is not fun either, but we’ve lucked out in that we have a very straight forward, business-like landlord. The thing that I’m most grateful for though is that we had enough of our own money to start the business, and we didn’t have to rely on banks for loans because, of course, they’re still not lending to small businesses as readily as they once were. We started and remain debt free.

Do you have any advice for fellow readers?

First, if you decide to open a business that entails buying or renting property, get a very good solicitor and listen to him/her. Property law is very different in the UK and a good solicitor will guide you through the maze and will ask the questions that you never thought of asking. Yes, they’re terribly expensive, but worth every penny if they can help you avoid problems down the line.

Second, although I’ve dissed my local council above, they do offer a lot of guidance and have an awful lot of resources at their disposal. Just don’t take no for an answer when dealing with them and go above their head if need be to get what you need – see my comments above on customer service in the UK. Also, join organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses who also offer invaluable advice and guidance. I’ve used FSB for everything from insurance to employment issues to networking opportunities. Well worth the joining fee. And last, and most importantly, talk to others who have been successful in the same type of business that you would like to start. They know the questions that you should be asking. I was lucky again in that Bruno especially had a lot of contacts in the hospitality industry that we could go to for advice. We have both built up our network of contacts through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and rely on them to put us in touch with those in the know. Twitter, especially, is invaluable for getting you and your product known and out-there.

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Bringing Sparkle To The UK From America

Katherine Shiatis came to London in 2001 in search of adventure. She soon fell in love with London, married a Brit and they now live here with their two daughters. Katherine was a teacher in New York and went on to become the Head of Lower School at a London private girls school before taking time off for maternity leave. In order to spend more time with her daughters, Katherine decided to teach part-time.

Every summer, Katherine and her family travel to the States to spend time with her American family and friends on the East Coast. One summer, she was invited to a Stella & Dot trunk show and so the story began. She had never seen anything to match this fashionable and affordable jewellery and decided to buy several pieces. Whenever she wore the jewellery she would receive compliment after compliment.

Katherine learned that Stella & Dot was coming to the UK. She decided to take a peek, and in October 2011 she became a founding stylist. This meant she was one of the first to bring the incredible, media-loved brand to the UK.

Katherine has experienced incredible success with Stella & Dot and has therefore decided to make it a full-time career. She loves the flexibility, which allows her to organise her work around her family and social life. She arranges 4-6 trunk shows a month (a Trunk Show being a ‘pop-up’ boutique in someone’s home) and has gone on to sponsor over 80 other women in four countries (UK, USA, Germany and France), all of whom were keen to start their own business as a jewellery entrepreneur. For some of her stylists this is their main business, for others it is part-time and tailored to fit around their other work commitments or their family life. Regardless, they are generally smart women looking for a way to either supplement their income, or find a way to work flexibly around their other commitments, and Stella & Dot has been the answer!

Katherine has been promoted to Associate Director and Founding leader in the UK. In 2012, she was presented with the Company’s most prestigious award for Spirit of Leadership – a huge honour voted for by fellow Stylists to recognise someone who has not only gone above and beyond to support other Stylists but also always leads by example and with grace.

"I love my job with S&D! It is better than my cup of coffee in the morning! I jump up and can’t wait to start my day. I love a challenge, the jewellery but most of all I love the community of women! I joined at the very beginning…I had never done anything like this before. I am a teacher and a mum…NOT in the world of sales. I heard the ethos of the company and a voice inside my head said “Just give it a try!" I now cannot imagine my life without S&D!"

“Stella & Dot, an Inc 500 Fastest-Growing Company, is a social selling company that creates flexible opportunities for women to be 'work from home' entrepreneurs. We believe everyone deserves great style, fun and opportunity in their everyday lives, and we're dedicated to providing it in a personal way. That's why we sell our line exclusively through friendly Stella & Dot Stylists online and at in home trunk shows. Customers and hostesses adore the style, and each Stylist is able to build their own flexible, modern business on a foundation of irresistible product and exceedingly personal service. Go ahead and indulge your friends in a little girl time and shopping by hosting a private party. And don't be surprised if you enjoy the experience and the rewards so much you decide to join us as a Stylist. We'd love to have you!”

The Times, Wall Street Journal and The Mail on Sunday have praised Stella & Dot for our innovative social shopping concept which brings together the best of ecommerce, social media, personal service and passionate earning to create the ultimate home based business for today's modern woman.

'I love London and my life here and, as an American living abroad, I was always looking for connections and deeper roots in a country that did not seem familiar. I was looking for a sense of community. Stella & Dot has provided me with an opportunity to meet and connect with other women in a meaningful way and build true friendships.'

For Americans who live in England, Stella & Dot is an intriguing opportunity. And if you ever decide to return to America, your business can travel back across the pond with you.

Katherine's future goal? 'I am aiming to be a Director and beyond. I want to provide a positive role model for my daughters, doing something that I love whilst still being there for them 100%. After all, they only have one childhood and I only have one chance to share their life and have a front row seat in their journey.'

Should you like further information feel free to be in touch with Katherine. Whether you are interested in purchasing the latest on-trend style, hosting a trunk show or even starting your own fashion business, Katherine will be there to help you along your way.